Boeing 737 Next Generation
Boeing 737 Next Generation
Malév 737-700
Role
Airliner
National origin United States
Manufacturer
Boeing Commercial
Airplanes
First flight
1997
Introduction
1998
Status
Active
Primary users
Southwest Airlines
Continental Airlines
Ryanair
American Airlines
Produced
1996 - Present
Number built
over 2,500[1]
Unit cost
US$50-85 million
(2008)[2][3]
Developed
from
Boeing 737 Classic
Variants
Boeing Business Jet
Boeing 737 AEW&C
C-40 Clipper
P-8 Poseidon
The Boeing 737 Next Generation is the
name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series
of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of
the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are
American short to medium range, single
aisle, narrow body jet airliners. Produced
since 1996, over 2,800 737NG aircraft have
been delivered as of February 2009.[1]
Design and development
Prompted by the modern Airbus A320, in
1991 Boeing initiated development of an up-
dated series of aircraft.[4] After working with
potential customers, the 737 Next Generation
(NG) program was announced on November
17, 1993.[5] The 737NG encompasses the
-600, -700, -800 and -900, and is to date the
most significant upgrade of the airframe. The
performance of the 737NG is essentially that
of a new airplane, but important commonality
is retained from previous 737. The wing was
modified, increasing its area by 25% and
span by 16 ft (4.88 m), which increased the
total fuel capacity by 30%. New quieter more
fuel-efficient
CFM56-7B
engines
were
used.[6] These improvements combine to in-
crease the 737s range by 900 nmi, now per-
mitting transcontinental service.[5] A flight
test program was operated by 10 aircraft; 3
-600s, 4 -700s, and 3 -800s.[5]
In terms of the passenger cabin, the new
style interior on the 737 Next Generation im-
proved on the previous style interior used on
the Boeing 757-200 and the Boeing 737 Clas-
sic by incorporating select features of the
777-style interior, most noticeably larger,
more rounded overhead bins and curved ceil-
ing panels. The interior of the 737 Next Gen-